Flat Broke with Two Goats by Jennifer McGaha impacted significantly after being chosen as OverDrive's Big Library Read

This April, Flat Broke with Two Goats was chosen as Overdrive's Big Library Read of 2018, Overdrive's ebook club. The program allowed participating libraries unlimited access to the book and allows patrons to borrow the title without any wait lists or holds. More than 14,700 U.S. public library branches participated in the campaign​.

The promotion associated with the title's selection for Overdrive's Big Library Read ran from April 2—16 and aligned with significant increases in associated social media activity and nationwide retail sales (print and ebook).

Project Panorama recently put together a report documenting sales, author discovery and brand development, which was published on November 29, 2018.

Click "Read more" to learn more about the report, report findings, the book, and the author.

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Can library promotion and availability impact author discovery, brand development and retail sales?

​The Panorama Project is the first data­ driven research project focused on understanding the impact of the nation’s public libraries on the three elements above. The multi­year industry initiative is supported by a growing list of publishers, booksellers, libraries, library service providers, and industry organizations.

After the promotion for Flat Broke with Two Goats as Overdrive's April 2018 Big Library Read, the book's discover ability, retail sales, and brand development were impacted significantly:

​Discovery Impact from the Campaign

• 5.6 million page views globally of the ebook title details page in public library digital catalogs.
• An increase in title’s Amazon Kindle sales rank—from below 200,000 prior to the library ebook club campaign to 7,833 at the close of the event.

Brand Development Impact from the Campaign

• Over 13,000 Goodreads members added the title to their shelves during the campaign.
• 400+ comments from readers, librarians, the author, and OverDrive forum moderator on the OverDrive moderated title discussion board.
• 500+ mentions from libraries and readers across social media using #BigLibraryRead.

Retail Sales Impact from the Campaign

• 818% growth in ebook sales from March to April, 2018.
• 201% growth in print sales from March to April, 2018.
• Sustained retail sales above pre-campaign (January–March 2018) volumes:
  • April–June 2018 ebook sales continued at 720% above pre-campaign volumes.
  • April–June 2018 print sales continued at 38% percent above pre-campaign volumes.

read the panorama project's press release for more information

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About the book

When life gets your goat, bring in the herd

Jennifer McGaha never expected to own a goat named Merle. Or to be setting Merle up on dates and naming his doeling Merlene. She didn’t expect to be buying organic yogurt for her chickens. She never thought she would be pulling camouflage carpet off her ceiling or rescuing opossums from her barn and calling it “date night.” Most importantly, Jennifer never thought she would only have $4.57 in her bank account.

When Jennifer discovered that she and her husband owed back taxes—a lot of back taxes—her world changed. Now desperate to save money, they foreclosed on their beloved suburban home and moved their family to a one-hundred-year-old cabin in a North Carolina holler. Soon enough, Jennifer’s life began to more closely resemble her Appalachian ancestors than her upper-middle-class upbringing. But what started as a last-ditch effort to settle debts became a journey that revealed both the joys and challenges of living close to the land.

Told with bold wit, unflinching honesty, and a firm foot in the traditions of Appalachia, Flat Broke with Two Goats blends stories of homesteading with the journey of two people rediscovering the true meaning of home.

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About the author

A Pushcart Prize nominee and student at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Jennifer McGaha teaches in The Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC-Asheville. She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, where her work has gained significant national attention. Visit her at www.jennifermcgaha.com.

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